Thomas Chippendale: A Name All His Own

Thomas Chippendale was the first cabinetmaker to boast such a strong following that an entire style bears his name and not that of a monarch. In 1754, Chippendale published The Gentleman and Cabinetmaker's Director, considered to be the "bible" of furniture design of its day. The designs he documented within the text would become so influential, that the dominated the furniture styles of the 18th century.